Ecological site group DX035X02DESG09
Grand Canyon - Ustic Aridic - Volcanic or Clayey Upland
Last updated: 09/02/2021
Accessed: 05/02/2024
Ecological site group description
Key Characteristics
- Grand Canyon (D)
- Site parent material is volcanic or clayey.
- Site soils are ustic aridic or within a 10-14" precipitation zone.
- Site is and/or located in an upland with slopes <15%.
Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.
Physiography
Site is and/or located in an upland with slopes <15%. Physiography is complex.
Climate
Site soils are ustic aridic or within a 10-14" precipitation zone. Precipitation comes monsoonal patterns during months of July, August, and September, and is supplemented by winter storm patterns from November through March.
Soil features
Parent material is basalt or andesite. Soils are clayey or clay loam. Site consists of limited amounts of gently sloping sheet alluvial or eolian deposits over residuum of plateaus and structural benches.
Vegetation dynamics
This site consists of a plant community of grasses with a significant percentage of shrubs. In the potential plant community, there is a mixture of cool and warm season grasses.
Plant species most likely to increase or invade on this site when it deteriorates are fendler threeawn, broom snakeweed, Buckhorn cholla, and annual grasses and forbs. Continuous livestock grazing during the spring will decrease cool season grasses, which are replaced by lower forage grasses and shrubs.
Major Land Resource Area
MLRA 035X
Colorado Plateau
Stage
Provisional
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.